HOUSTON -- Shell Oil Products US said it has again elected to extend the temporary reduction to merchant service transaction fees. The extended temporary reduction will remain in effect until Oct. 31, 2006.
This temporary fee reduction will be extended on all electronic transactions for Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit card transactions.
We anticipate a return to the current fee structure on Nov. 1, 2006, and continue to work with the card associations to secure a permanent solution on behalf of our site operators such as the previously [image-nocss] announced permanent reduction in MasterCard fees from 2.10% + .10 to 2.00% + .10, said company spokesperson Karyn Leonardi-Cattolica.
In addition to the extended temporary reductions in transaction fees, Shell wholesalers and retailers receive the industry leading benefits of the Shell Credit card program including:
promotion. Shell Platinum MasterCard offers a daily value with 5% rebate on gasoline and 1% rebate on other purchases. The Shell Gift Card program offers Shell wholesalers and retailers a 3% rebate on the purchase of Shell Gift Cards.
On the consumer side, Shell Oil Products US has re-introduced a credit card incentive and marketing campaign for the Shell Platinum MasterCard from Citi Cards. Through a 60-day introductory offer, new Shell Platinum MasterCard credit card holders will earn triple rebates on all Shell gasoline purchases, the first $100 of daily Jiffy Lube purchases and on all other purchases where MasterCard is accepted.
Shell and Citibank will triple the rebates on Shell gasoline to 15% for new cardholders who apply for the card between Oct. 1, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2006. That can mean a savings of 41 cents per gallon at $2.75 per gallon when using their Shell Platinum MasterCard from Citi Cards. With an average fill- up of 13 gallons, consumers who spend $36 could be earning $5 in Shell gasoline rebates per fill up during the triple rebate period. Factoring in the 3% tripled rebate on all other purchases like holiday shopping, and no rebate cap on the amount of rebates that can be earned, the offer can help consumers save more than any other credit card product available in the oil industry, the company claimed.
New applicants can take advantage of the triple rebate each time they use their new Shell Platinum MasterCard during the first 60 days after receiving their card in the mail. At the end of the 60-day period, the rebate will return to the everyday savings of a 5% rebate on all Shell gasoline and on the first $100 of daily Jiffy Lube purchases, as well as the 1% rebate made on purchases everywhere else MasterCard is accepted. All rebates are automatically applied directly to customers' monthly statements as credits toward future Shell gasoline purchases.
The efforts to promote the Shell Platinum MasterCard triple rebate promotion include a national advertising and communications campaign that uses TV and Internet advertisements and public relations efforts to generate awareness. In addition, Shell stations will receive a comprehensive point-of- purchase package that includes pumptoppers, pole signs, register signs and numerous other forms of advertising the offer on site.
And in other Shell news, residents in Detroit and the surrounding area will notice an increase in the Shell presence as Shell Oil Products US celebrates a six-week long grand opening starting October 1. During this time, there will be 17 customer appreciation events at stations throughout the area, and a sweepstakes that will culminate on November 13 in the selection of ten finalists who will get a chance to win the grand prize of $10,000 in Shell gasoline.
To increase awareness of the updated visual image of Shell sites in the area, 5,000 door hangers will be distributed in each of the 17 zip codes in the Detroit area. These materials will list the customer appreciation dates and locations in that zip code, along with a gasoline coupon for $2 off a purchase of 10 gallons or more of Shell gasoline. The coupons will be redeemable at any participating Detroit-area Shell location.
During the customer appreciation events, station employees will hand out water bottles, pens, tire gauges and more. Children's entertainment will be available. Local radio stations will broadcast from each event, with $20 Shell Gift Cards to be given to the first 50 customers who arrive at the site.
With a uniform approach to canopies, buildings, fuel dispensers and landscaping, the Shell retail visual imaging of its stations is designed to provide a bright, clean and comfortable environment for customers, while also representing one of the most modern and technologically advanced facilities of their kind in a market. Newly re-imaged stations will have a welcoming environment that remains true to the history of the Shell brand's yellow and red colors, said the company.
On December 16, the 10 finalists from the grand opening sweepstakes will gather at a local Shell station for the chance to win $10,000 in gasoline. Each finalist will draw a Shell prepaid gas card, but only one will activate the pump, signaling the card is worth $10,000. The remaining finalists will each receive $500 in gasoline.
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